Today I went as a spectator to Art in the Barn in Barrington, IL, one of the larger art fairs we have in the area with over 175 artists showing. Next year I will be submitting my entry for participation. But this year I went looking for different things. Besides the art, I wanted to see how the booths were set up, how people organized their things inside and behind their tents. How did solid panel walls work compared to mesh walls for hanging. What about lighting, especially in the indoor areas? I wanted to see how people set up tables to hold guest books and business cards or flyers. And of course I wanted to see if people were buying or just looking like I was.
The day’s weather started out overcast and drizzling, clearing very gradually. Though the exhibitors were probably nervous at the start, it turned out to be a good weekend for a fair.
It was clear that the largest single category was Jewelry, at 37 artists. By comparison Painting, a combination of Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, and Pastels, totaled 43 artists. Ceramics, Fiber, Wood, Sculpture, etc rounded out the other half of the show, and of course Photography was well represented at 22 artists.
I wonder if the Art in the Barn organizers track purchases by category. It would be interesting to know if people are buying jewelry or paintings. Small, low priced trinkets or major works of art? Originals or reproductions? Though I’m sure to learn soon what the numbers are for my own works, it would be interesting to see if there are general trends. If I can find out I’ll write about what I learn here.
